Yates’ Lawyer Seeks Insanity Law Changes

HOUSTON —  The lawyer for convicted child killer Andrea Yates wants to change Texas insanity law to assist other mentally ill defendants and give his client something to live for.

“It would be extremely difficult, but I think we can use Andrea’s case like the Hinckley case was used,” attorney George Parnham said Thursday after talking with law students at Texas Southern University about the failure of Yates’ insanity defense and his reasons for an appeal.

Insanity statutes were stiffened by many states and by the federal government following John W. Hinckley Jr.’s acquittal by reason of insanity for shooting and wounding President Reagan in 1981.

Parnham said he hopes his client’s conviction will lead to changes in Texas law so mentally ill defendants have a chance at being acquitted for something they were compelled to do because of an illness.

Yates, 37, was convicted this month of drowning three of her five children. She was sentenced to life in prison.

In Texas, defendants must prove they didn’t know their actions were wrong at the time of the crime to prove they were insane. Jurors found that Yates knew what she was doing was wrong, rejecting her insanity claim.

“The problem is the law did not work in this case and it does not work in many cases,” said state Rep. Garnet Coleman at the discussion. “The way the law has been applied has nothing to do with the science and what we know about mental illness.”

Coleman, who suffers from bipolar disorder, said he will work with Parnham and mental health organizations to try to bring legislative change.

Joe Owmby and Kaylynn Williford, who prosecuted Yates, were out of the office Thursday and not available to comment.